Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

“ There was no talk of a new war then nor were they interested in warfare. They had decided to drown themselves at an auspicious hour of the holy full-moon day of the month of Magh to make atonement for Jiban's supreme sin — his broken oath. ”

“ With this in view, he spread the news that he was going to attack the fair, and kill all the assembled Children in one place and in one day. He would never allow the Children to have their way. This news spread so from village to village that the Children armed themselves and rushed to the defence of the fair. Most of them reached the fair on the full-moon day. Major Edwards had been absolutely right in his speculations. It was a lucky thing for the British that Mahendra, too, stepped into the trap. He left only a handful of soldiers at Padachina and started for the fair with the rest. ”